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Ministries commonly store a variety of personal information about their members and the people who support them. Mailing lists and donation records may be the most familiar repositories of personal information; however, the average church database is also likely to include Social Security numbers and payment card information. Unsecured, this data could make church members vulnerable to criminals—putting church and ministry members at risk.

Large or small, churches and ministries are often easy prey for would-be thieves, especially as church holidays, like Christmas, approach and weekly offerings increase as more people return to worship and other ministry activities. Ministry leaders can boost their ability to keep thieves away from their contributions and property by taking just a few precautions—not only during the holidays, but also throughout the year.

Some churches extend their ministry electronically using resources such as online prayer lists and sermon illustrations that use Web media. While providing additional means to communicate with those your church serves, online tools also come with common liability risks.

Handling church money often requires a substantial amount of record-keeping—tracking how much comes in, who it comes from, what it’s used for, and how much each individual gives during a year. It also involves an effective internal control structure to ensure that the information is accurate and protected. Here are some procedures that can help your ministry strengthen control of cash receipts and disbursements.